VOYA, August 2015 (Vol. 38, No. 3) - Gwen Amborski
Calling Maggie May is a quick read. The journal format provides readers an inside look into the main character’s thoughts and feelings. Due to the central premise of the novel being teenage prostitution, this book is not the faint of heart. The gritty topics addressed will attract older teens who enjoy the realistic suspense genre. Reviewer: Gwen Amborski, Teen Reviewer; Ages 15 to 18.
Calling Maggie May
by AnonymousView All Available Formats & Editions
A dark and edgy first-person cautionary tale about how one girl’s seemingly minor choices quickly spiraled into a life as a sex worker in the tradition of Go Ask Alice and Lucy in the Sky.
She had a normal life, until one small decision changed everything. Suddenly, there were new possibilities and new experiences.
But not all of those
… See more details belowOverview
A dark and edgy first-person cautionary tale about how one girl’s seemingly minor choices quickly spiraled into a life as a sex worker in the tradition of Go Ask Alice and Lucy in the Sky.
She had a normal life, until one small decision changed everything. Suddenly, there were new possibilities and new experiences.
But not all of those experiences were good.
Read her shocking story in the diary she left behind.
Editorial Reviews
VOYA, August 2015 (Vol. 38, No. 3) - Adrienne Amborski
Written in epistolary style, this piece of realistic fiction is penned by an unnamed sixteen-year-old Chinese American teen girl who, in her junior year of high school, is lured into the world of prostitution. Beginning a journal at her mother’s insistence in order to keep track of her achievements for college applications, “Anonymous” details her daily life and struggles. Although she is a good student and competes on the swim team, it is not at the level demanded of her from her family. Feeling the pressure to be perfect, she starts to study Ada, a student who is beautiful and elusive. Ada introduces Anonymous to Damon, a smooth and attractive “date,” which leads to Anonymous’s first sexual experience. Deciding to become a teenage prostitute, the narrator is introduced to Miss Irma, the Taiwanese owner of a discreet and upscale escort service. Anonymous is told by Miss Irma to capitalize on her Asian heritage to fulfill fantasies of various clients in this no-holds-barred look at the sex trade. As the story progresses, Ada becomes indebted to Miss Irma and disappears under mysterious circumstances. Anonymous decides to leave Miss Irma’s service and look for Ada. Unwilling to return to her parents’ home, Anonymous hooks up with Shawn, a “retired” male prostitute whom Anonymous met while working for Miss Irma. Shawn transitions from boyfriend to pimp, and Anonymous becomes a streetwalker, turning tricks out of cars. An extremely ill Ada is found and hospitalized. Anonymous is discovered by a social worker at the hospital and is returned to her parents, but her fate is not sealed. Readers will be compelled to finish this novel to discover the destiny of Anonymous. Disturbing and compelling, this book is an eye-opening look at the world of prostitution. From high-class call girl to streetwalker, Anonymous is exploited, her life forever altered. At times, the narrator’s gullibility is over the top. While the sexual experiences introduced in the book are graphic, they are not described in explicit detail. This gritty story will appeal to high school teens and readers of Ellen Hopkins, Dave Pelzer’s Child Called It series, and the classic Go Ask Alice. Reviewer: Adrienne Amborski; Ages 15 to 18.School Library Journal
07/01/2015Gr 10 Up—In this first-person diarylike novel in the tradition of Go Ask Alice, Maggie lives an ordinary life, which consists of going to school and coming home to her controlling parents. That predictable routine changes when she becomes entangled with Ada Calver. Ada has it all and is everything that Maggie isn't—gorgeous, confident, and self-assured. The teens become friends, and Maggie learns the real reason Ada seems mature and experienced: Ada is a prostitute. Maggie also gets involved with sex trafficking, and her old life starts to fall apart. She's failing school and fighting with her parents; her life has completely transformed. Can Maggie turn herself around before it's too late? Though the sympathetic protagonist is a typical high school girl, she is painted as overly naïve, someone who always makes the wrong decision. Every choice she makes drives her deeper and deeper down a dark hole. There's no real lightbulb moment for Maggie, and through her diary, readers have to follow the doomed path. There's no character growth, and the book seems to offer teens a story of destruction rather than a cautionary tale. Nevertheless, this is an important, eye-opening read for young adults. VERDICT For a better look into the harsh realities of the dark world of child prostitution, recommend Nicole Maggi's The Forgetting (Sourcebooks) and E.R. Frank's Dime (S. & S., both 2015) instead.—Caitlin Wilson, Brooklyn Public Library
Product Details
- ISBN-13:
- 9781481439015
- Publisher:
- Simon Pulse
- Publication date:
- 06/23/2015
- Pages:
- 272
- Sales rank:
- 133,772
- Product dimensions:
- 5.00(w) x 7.00(h) x 0.70(d)
- Age Range:
- 14 - 17 Years
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Calling Maggie May
Wed, Sept 17
Swim meet: First place in the freestyle today! And second in backstroke.
Calculus test: 97%
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